Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 3, Number 7, 1 Iulai 1986 — Hawaii Participates in NY Folk Festival [ARTICLE]

Hawaii Participates in NY Folk Festival

Hawaii is being represented at the 48th National Folk Festival being held July 4-6 in New York City to eelebrate the rededication of the Statue of Liberty. Two very special and authentic groups reprBsenting Hawaii at the festival are Clyde Sproat of North Kohala and Karin Haleamau, a working paniolo from Huehue Ranch in Kona, and Kumu Hula Mililani Allen and her Halau O Mililani from Oahu. The festival is sponsored by the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA) and the National Park Service (NPS) and celebrates the richest, most authentic and most diverse traditional arts the county has to offer. The NCTA eaeh year combs the back woods and the little known areas of the United States looking for musicians and craftspeople who carry on their traditions in spite of the fast-paced commercial world around them. Sproat sings and plays the ukulele and Haleamau plays kiho'alu or slack-key guitar. They will both sing oldtime songs from the country and songs of Hawaii's rich paniolo traditions. They have performed at folk festivals before and most recently appeared with Office of Hawaiian Affairs Administrators Kamaki A. Kanahele III and his halau in a concert at Carnegie Recital Hall. Kumu Hula Allen will be representing Hawaii's ancient and flourishing dance traditions of Hula Kahiko. She has represented Hawaii before at two Pacific Arts Festivals, in 1980 at Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea and in 1985 in Tahiti. Seven of her 'olapa dancers from Waianae will be accompanying her. Hawaii's participation has been made possible from funds provided by the NCTA, NPS, New York Harbor Fest, Yokouchi Foundation, Honolulu Advertiser and numerous private contributors. The State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, Folk Arts Program, provided technical assistance.